


right beside you

by awriterinthedark



Series: Lean on Me [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Disability, Disabled Character, Service Dog Derek, Service Dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 03:04:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5989816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awriterinthedark/pseuds/awriterinthedark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek is Stiles service dog. Two teens say something stupid about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	right beside you

**Author's Note:**

> In this I think Stiles disability is some sort of TBI (traumatic brain injury) as well as PTSD.

It's been a good day. Stiles thought as he slipped a box of heart healthy cereal into his cart.

He had done well in school, his speech had been smooth all day, (well almost all day, he'd stuttered a little when he was ordering lunch but that was normal. The cafeteria was crowded and tended to make him feel a bit claustrophobic.) He hadn't gotten any headaches, he'd only had one major dizzy spell but Derek had alerted him to it in time for him to get to a safe place to sit before it hit.

Stiles pushed his cart a little further down the aisle and jumped when he heard someone coo Derek's name. He glanced at Derek who had looked up at his name but hadn't moved from his side before he looked up and saw Abigail, a store employee who had been working at the little grocery store for longer than Stiles had been alive.

“How you two doing today?” She asked, giving them a gentle smile that Stiles always thought of as grandmotherly.

“Good,” Stiles said twining Derek's leash around his hand and then relaxing it when Derek leaned into him a little. “It's been a good day.”

“I'm glad. We're having a sale on on those turkey sausages you like.” She said flashing Stiles her grandmother smile once more before moving down of the aisle and then around the corner.

“What'cha think Der, sausages, eggs and maybe some whole wheat toast for breakfast tomorrow?” Stiles murmured to Derek as they moved down the aisle. Derek's tail wagged slowly back and forth at the sound of Stiles voice, his eyes were focused on the aisle, his body language relaxed but alert. The florescent strip of fabric on the edge of his Service dog vest caught the light just right to flash briefly in Stiles eyes, making him squint.

“Oh man lookit that dog dude.” Stiles glanced at the speaker and saw a teen his own age, staring at him and Derek, nudging his friend in the ribs.

“Aw, dude... I wish I could just put a vest on my pet and bring him into the store with me.” They moved on while Stiles stood frozen in the aisle, completely shocked at their words.

Derek wasn't a pet! He was a Service Dog!

Derek had been specially bred and then trained since he was three days old so that he could one day help a disabled person. He wasn't Stiles pet. It wasn't like Stiles had gotten a puppy taught it to sit and stay and heel and then decided to slap a vest on the dog and take him everywhere with him. No. Derek was trained for dozens of different tasks so that Stiles could live as independently as possible.

He had been trained to support Stiles when ever he had a dizzy spell, to find help or get his medication when he needed it for his migraines. Derek helped Stiles when Stiles balance decided to take a vacation, often leaving him swaying like a drunkard at sea.

Derek had been trained to help Stiles every time he fell down. Derek helped Stiles walk up and down stairs. He helped him through panic attacks or helped cut them off before they could even start. He helped Stiles feel safe. He helped Stiles to do things that able bodied people simply took for granted.

Derek and he had trained for over month before it was decided that they were a great match and that Derek would be his Service dog.  
Derek was not a pet...Derek was...

Stiles stared down at the large dog who had sat on his feet while Stiles fought with himself over what he should do or say to try and get those boys to realize what Derek was to him. He looked up and saw that the boys had already left, so he heaved a sigh and gave Derek the command of “Forward.”

Derek rose to his feet and started walking without a backwards glance at Stiles, because he knew that Stiles would be there, right beside him.

Ultimately, Stiles knew, yes Derek was his Service dog, but he was also the closest friend he'd ever had.

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually based on a conversation I overheard while walking through the store with my Service Dog.  
> Service Dogs are amazing and absolutely brilliant creatures but they are NOT pets.  
> The amount of time, money, and training that are poured into these dogs is astounding. They can be extremely beneficial, and help make day to day life so much easier. But they are NOT pets.


End file.
